Multiple-chamber filter press



Aug. 10 1926.

P. W. PRUTZMAN IULTIPLE CHAMBER FILTER PRESS Filed March 29, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 n m n a v 'F Aug. 10 1926, 1,595,616

P. W. PRUTZMAN MULTIPLE CHAMBER FILTER PRESS iged March 29', 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 10, 1926. 1,595,616

UNITED. STATES PATENT, OFFICE.-

PAUL W. PRUTZMAN, OF LOS ANGELES, QALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL PETRO-LEUM CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MULTIPLE-CHAMBER FILTER PRESS.

Application filed March 29, 1922. Serial No. 547,668.

This invention relates to the refining of partition plates I employ,showing the filter petroleum and other oils, and relates parscreens inplace thereupon. 65 ticularly to filter presses used for the me- Fig. 4is a cross diametral section of one chanical separation of solids fromliquids, of'the partition plates. I

5 to the washing and drying of such separated Animal and vegetable oils,petroleum dissolids, and to processes wherein liquids are tillates andthe like are often unfit for use" passed through powdered absorbentmateeither in the crude condition or after partial rial for the removalof impurities contained refining with chemicals, and it is customary insuch liquids. to treat such oils with powdered absorbent 10 It is theobject of my invention to provide substances such as bone. charcoal,clay or a filter press which may be used to remove fullers earth whichare intermixed with the from oils those suspended powdered suboil incold or heated condition, as the instances, such as absorbent materials,which stance may require, to remove certain imare mixed with the oil.for the purification purities or coloring matters contained there- 15 ordecolorization thereof. j in; also such oils are often treated with Itis a further object of my invention to solid alkalis to neutralize andcause the provide a filter press in which absorbent masolidification ofacids contained therein, terialsmay be placed and the oil to betreatand, in cases where quantities of finely died passed therethroughunder pressure of vided paraffin are contained in the oil, filter 20 airor of nonreactive gases. aids may be employed which are also in It is afurther object'of my invention to powdered form. Y provide an apparatusof this type in whicl. These powdered substances must be enthe filtercake deposited upon the filter tirely removed before the oils can be putscreen may be washed with petroleum spirits into commercial use, so itis common prac- 25 or other solvents without such cake being tice toemploy filter presses in which the oil removed from the press. is forcedthrough fine metallic or fabric It is a further object of my inventionto screens either by mechanical or fluid presprovide an apparatus ofthis type in which sure, the solid materials being-retained upsuchWashing of the press cake may be cononthe filter screens. 30 ducted witha minimum loss of the solvent .The solid materials composing the filteremployed for washing. I cake alwaysretain an important and valu- It is afurther object of my invention to able part of the oil with which theywere provide such an apparatus in which the filoriginally mixed, notmerely as impurities ter cake may be washed and dried in the but also aspurified oil mechanically enpress and thereafter removed therefrom as atrained. Also the solids composing the body dry powder, in a conditionin which it is of the cake are often of value, for recovery readily andeasily handled, and without disand re-use or. for other purposes, butthis mounting the press or separating the respeconly after theseparation of such entrained tive parts thereof. v oil, and it istherefore customary to remove 40 Other objects and advantages will besuch cake-from the filter press and to submade evident hereinafter. jmit it, in other apparatus, to such washing Referring to the drawing,which is for iland drying operations as 'will separatecand lustrativepurposes only, recover the oil contained therein and will Fig. l is anelevational view of an appareduce the cake to a dry powder. 45 'ra-tusembodying the features of my inven- It is the object of my invention toprotion, one of the chamber sections thereof bevide a single piece ofapparatus in which ing sectioned to illustratathe distribution of allthese operations, to-wit, filtering, washthe absorbentimaterials thereinin the form ing the cake free from adhering oil, an of a filter cake. Idrying out the adhering solvent, may be 50 Fig. 2 is a plan view of thedevice shown conducted'with the least possible labor and in Fig. 1, aportion of the top chamber with the least possible loss of valuablesolmemberthereof being sectioned. vent, and further, to provide an a'paratus 30% Fig. 3 is a'partial plan view of one of the in which avaluable yield of purifie oilmay be obtained from the filter cake bysimply blowing therethrough air or other gas under pressure.

My invention is of the fluid actuated classification of filter pressesand consists, as shown in the drawing, of a plurality of tubularsections 11 provided with flanges 12 and consecutively joined togetherwith parto secure the sections 11 and the intervening plates 13 inoperating position. This method of locking the sections together is notan essential element of my invention, as the tubular sections 11 and,the plates 13 may also be locked together by joining the heads togetherby means of side rods or other members in tension, and applying pressureby means of screws, hydraulic ram or other well known means.

Upon the upper surface 19 of the partition plate 13 may be formed radialgrooves 25 extending from a central position to a point coincident withthe inner face 27 of the members 11 and the concentric circular channels26 are in this case formed in communication with the channels 25. Theuse of the radial grooves 25 and the circular channels 26 is not anessential element of this invention, though it is desirable where veryviscous oil is to be filtered. With lighter oil a plain surfaced platewill answer the same purpose.

A projection 28 extended radially-outward from each of the plates v13 isprovided with a passage 29 which extends within the plate 13 to a oint3O slightly beyond the center thereofl Each of the 'channels 25 isconnected to the passage 29 by holes 24 drilled vertically through theupper wall 31 enclosing the passage 29. A downwardly directed opening 35is provided in each of the' projections 28 through which communicationis obtained between the passages 29 and the header 36 through pipingconnections 37..

Upon the surface 19 and the plate 13 I mount suitable filteringmaterials consisting usually of a bottom layer of coarse screen 38 overwhich is placed a fine screen I 39 surmounted by a layer of filter cloth40.

In many cases one orboth of the screens may be omitted and the filtercloth may in some cases be replaced by a finely woven metallic cloth;The'screens', if used, should be cut to circles sli htly smaller thanthe inside diameter of t e member 11, and the extreme outer ed e of suchscreens should be filled with solder or otherwise protected so as not tocut through the cloth. The cloths should be cut in circles slightlysmaller than the diameter of a circle laid inside the bolt holes 20.When the cloths are laid over the screens the flanges 12 of the members11 are clamped down thereagainst to firmly hold these filter materialssecurely'in place.

The oils to be filtered are delivered through a header 45 and aredirected almost simultaneously into each of the compartments 15 throughpiping connections 46 j in which are located valves 47 and, in suchinstances where the oil contains absorbent materials to be removed, afilter cake, such as indicated at 48- in Fig. 1, forms upon the filtercloth 41, the oil passing through the consecutive layers of filteringmaterial into the channels 26 and the channels 25, the oil collected inthe. channels 26 flowin into the channels. 25 and passing inwarlytherethrough to the holes 24 connected with the passage 29, fromwhence the filtered oil is carried to the header 36 throu'gh the pipingconnections 37.

In certain of the treatments of oil, it is customary to pass the oilthrough a layer of absorbent materials which take up certain of theimpurities of the oil as it passes therethrough. In such operations thematerials, such as indicated at 48, are placed within the chambers 15through the openings, 17, and the oil is afterwards circulatedtherethrough under pressure as before described.

After the oil has been passed through the filter screen, and when asuflicient thickness of filter cake has collected, a flow of air undersuflicient pressure is passed through the filter cake to remove as muchas possible of the oil adhering thereto, the oil so obtained being ofthe first qualit and such as may be mixed with the oil of?- tained inthe filtration just described.

The blowing having been continued until no further profitable yield ofoil is obtained, the cake 48 may be washed by circulating a flow ofgasoline or other solvent therethrough to wash out the remainder of isobtained by action then be dried bypassing a blast of hot or cold airtherethrough, which operation is continued until .the solvent isentirely removed. It is then possible to remove the filter cake 48 byopening the doors 16 and blowing the powdered materials forming thefilter cake through the opening 17 by a blast of compressed air, or itmay be desirable to remove these materials by scoops or other suitableimplements. In either case it is not necessary to disassemble orseparate the component parts of the press, as the emptying operation maybe conducted through the doors 17 only.

Although I have shown a type of plate 13 with channels formed only. uponthe upper surface thereof, it is sometimes desirable to provide thesewith channels upon both the upper and lower surfaces of the plates andto cover both these surfaces with filter cloth so that the oils beingfiltered may be carried off with greater expedition as the capacity ofsuch an apparatus is approximately twice that of the type illus trated.This modification is less desirable if the cake is to be washed, as theupper cake tends to become detached from the cloth and prevent thoroughand complete washing. In any case, the plates 13 are intended to beimperforate in the sense that no fluid can pass therethrough from onechamber to an adjacent chamber.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, the assembled press is shown standing in avertical position, so that the plane of the plates 13 is horizontal. Itshould be clearly understood that this horizontal position of the platesis an essential feature of my invention, and that the press will notfunction properly if the plates are disposed in any other position thanhorizontal or at least approximately level.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a filter press, the combination of: a hollow body; imperforatehorizontally disposed partitions having channels formed tuerein saidpartitions dividing said hollow body into chambers which have no directcommunicating passages therebetween; filter screens upon saidpartitions; separate inlets introducing a liquid substance to befiltered into each of said chambers; said inlets permitting atransmission of high pressure to said-substance to force the liquidelements thereof through said filter screens; means for separatelycontrolling the supply of fluid to each of said chambers; and meansconnecting with said channels for carrying off said liquid elements; alateral clean-out opening in a vertical side of each chamber; andseparate means for the tight closure of each opening.

2. In a filter press, the combination of: a hollow body; imperforatepartitions having channels formed therein dividing said hol-' low bodyinto chambers which have no -di rect conu'nunicating passagestherebetween; filter screens upon said partitions; means for introducingaliquid substance to be filtered into each of said chambers; andpermitting a transmission of high pressure to said substance to forcethe liquid elements thereof through said filter screens; means forseparately controlling the supply of fir-id to each of said'chambers;means connecting with said channels for carrying off said liquidelements; and separate access means into each of said chambers throughwhich materials deposited upon any one of said screens may be separatelyremoved tl'ierefrom during the continued-flow of said liquid throughothers of said chambers.

3. In a filter press, the combination of: a hollow body comprising anumber of tubular members axially disposed in consecutive arrangement;imperforate plate members separating and closing off said tubularmembers into compartments, certain of said plate members being providedwith channelsin the body thereof; inlet means for simultaneouslyintroducing liquids into said compartments; filter screens upon thesurfaces of said channeled plates; and permit ting a transmission ofhigh pressure to force said liquid through said filter screens; meansfor separately controlling the supply of fluid to each of said chambers;means connecting with said channels for carrying off said liquidstherefrom; and covered separate means providing access into saidcompartments individually for the removal of materials deposited uponsaid screens, without disassembly.

at. In a filter press, the combination of: ahollow body comprising anumber of tubular members axially disposed in consecutive arrangement;imperforate and substantially horizontal plate members separating andclosing off said tubular members into sepa ate compartments, certain ofsaid plate members being provided with interconnected surface channels;filter screens upon the surface of said channeled plates; inlet meansforsimultaneously introducing liquids into said compartments; andpermitting a transmission of high pressure to force said liquids throughsaid screens; means for having a corrugated filter-supportingsurfaceinterposed between the flanged tubular members.

6. In a filter press, a pressure chamber,

5 an imperforate filter supporting plate having a corrugatedfilter-supporting surface i said chamber, and a removable cover for ameans of access into said chamber for the lateral removal of solidsWithout disassembling.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 23rd day of hlarch, 1922.

PAUL lV. PRUTZMAN.

